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LEgal Research & Extension

Sea Grant has a network of lawyers working on a host of coastal, ocean and Great Lakes law and policy topics to address community needs.

Legal Resources

These diverse topics range from matters such as sea level rise and climate adaptation, to public access to the shoreline and the water, to the application of maritime law in marine and coastal industries. Legal professionals have been involved in Sea Grant for almost as long as the National Sea Grant College Program has existed, and today the Sea Grant Legal Network is comprised of participants from 11 Sea Grant programs—and counting!

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Meet the Experts

“Southern hospitality does not extend to invasive species... The fact that both Alabama and Mississippi have lists of outlawed species, however, has done little to slow invasive species’ advancement. This can largely be attributed to the fact that by the time a state issues a law or regulation about a species, that invasive plant or animal has already established itself.”
Kristina Alexander, J.D.Senior Research Counsel, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program - Ms. Alexander's research touches on myriad topics, including the regulation of wildlife and fisheries, green stormwater infrastructure and invasive species management. She is a member of the Gulf and South Atlantic Regional Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species.
Kristina Alexander, J.D.
“Coastal states are doing some impressive things for resilience, but no one seems to have an easy answer for how to fund it all. We need the business community—the private sector—at the table, too.”
Elizabeth A. Andrews, J.D.Director, Virginia Coastal Policy Center – Climate resilience is front and center in Ms. Andrews’s scholarship, and she convenes many of the top resilience thinkers and decision-makers at the Virginia Coastal Policy Center Annual Conference.
Elizabeth A. Andrews, J.D.
"To my knowledge, this is the most comprehensive and explicit treatment of marine resources in a local government comprehensive plan in Florida."
Thomas T. Ankersen, J.D.Director, Florida Sea Grant Legal Program - Professor Ankersen's area of work spans across environmental and land use law, marine and coastal law, conservation real estate law and Latin American comparative law. He helped Hernando County, FL, incorporate the entirety of its coastal zone within its comprehensive plan, creating a science-based “Strategic Marine Area Plan.”
Thomas T. Ankersen, J.D.
“Following a master educator model, groups of volunteers will be trained on climate science, climate impacts, communication, local government, climate mitigation and climate adaptation. Then, the volunteers will develop projects to assist local governments in addressing climate change.”
Katherine Bunting-Howarth, J.D., Ph.D.Associate Director, New York Sea Grant – In her roles in management and as an extension leader, Dr. Bunting-Howarth has been involved in a host of diverse initiatives. At present, this includes cooperating in the development of a Climate Stewards Program for New York.
Katherine Bunting-Howarth, J.D., Ph.D.
“Following a master educator model, groups of volunteers will be trained on climate science, climate impacts, communication, local government, climate mitigation and climate adaptation. Then, the volunteers will develop projects to assist local governments in addressing climate change.”
Shana Jones, J.D.Program Manager, Planning and Environmental Services Unit, Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Director, Georgia Sea Grant Law Program - Ms. Jones was an investigator in a regional project looking at the challenges posed by sea level rise to the maintenance of infrastructure. She is the lead author on a resulting paper recognized in 2020 by the Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review as one of the year's top four environmental law articles, and she discussed the project findings as a guest on the Coastal Conundrum podcast.
Shana Jones, J.D.
"Translating scientific research results into policy is difficult, in part because legal concepts don’t always equate with scientific principles."
Stephanie Showalter Otts, J.D., MSELDirector, National Sea Grant Law Center - Ms. Otts's current research includes looking at how definitions of "fishing community" affect participation in fishery management.
Stephanie Showalter Otts, J.D., MSEL
"Florida has over 200 coastal local governments responsible for large amounts of infrastructure, such as drainage, roads, wastewater, potable water and other infrastructure. We need to proactively work with these local governments to help them understand their legal and financial liabilities tied to infrastructure and how they can best serve their communities into a changing future."
Thomas Ruppert, J.D.

Coastal Planning Specialist, Florida Sea Grant Coastal Planning Program - Mr. Ruppert's role as a legal expert on liability for climate and sea level rise impacts on infrastructure has been an invaluable resource for local governments looking to understand how they can address the effects of climate change in their policies. He was named a 2019 Florida Climate Institute Faculty Fellow for his contributions to climate research and extension.
Thomas Ruppert, J.D.
"We will continue to follow [alternative oyster aquaculture] as it evolves into something we hope will be very beneficial to the economic well-being of the state."
James Wilkins, J.D.

Director, Louisiana Sea Grant Law & Policy Program - As the current head of Sea Grant's oldest legal program, Mr. Wilkins's professional accomplishments include a ten-year effort paving the way to allow alternative oyster aquaculture in Louisiana waters.
James Wilkins, J.D.
“Communities across New England are facing a different climate than they had a decade ago…  State and local governments are being presented with complex challenges on how to adapt existing laws, policies and regulations to the changing environment.”
Julia Wyman, J.D.

Director, Marine Affairs Institute & Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program – A significant part of Ms. Wyman’s work has been focused on the legal and policy aspects of adaptation to climate change.
Julia Wyman, J.D.
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Featured Legal Research & Extension Impacts

Legal Research & Extension News
Coastal Hazards Preparedness

Connecticut Sea Grant partners with Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program to help local leaders navigate climate change questions

Questions poured in by the dozen after the morning session of the 2015 Adapt CT legal workshop—six pages worth, in fact. The workshop was part of a series on climate adaptation hosted by Connecticut Sea Grant and the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research, known as CLEAR, through their joint organization Adapt CT. Legal issues had starkly emerged as another area being reshaped by the broad sweep of the changing climate, as effects are felt across fisheries, agriculture, health, infrastructure, wildlife and economies.

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February 9, 2022
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